Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream Versus Numbuzin No.1 Purple Complex Moisture Balancing Soothing Cream
Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream Versus Numbuzin No.1 Purple Complex Moisture Balancing Soothing Cream This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier. This calming moisturizer is formu
Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream Versus Numbuzin No.1 Purple Complex Moisture Balancing Soothing Cream
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier.
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract and Azulene to calm redness.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Glycerin
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Hydrogenated Polydecene
1,2-Hexanediol
Niacinamide
Squalane
Butylene Glycol
Propanediol
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Adenosine
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Disodium EDTA
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Honey Extract
Ceramide NP
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Dextrin
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Water, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Glycerin, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium EDTA, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Honey Extract, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Dextrin, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Glycereth-26
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Cyclopentasiloxane
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Dimethicone
Azulene
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Trehalose
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Citric Acid
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Glyceryl Glucoside
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract
Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Water, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Dimethicone, Azulene, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Glyceryl Glucoside, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
Emollient, helping to soften skin
Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract comes from the Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap plant. This plant is native to Northeast Asia and can be found in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Siberia.
In cosmetics, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This is due to the flavonoid composition of Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract.
In Chinese traditional folk medicine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract is used to help treat lung issues and hypertension.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!